Blind Advocates Call For Sweeping New Laws

by Kevin Burton    This time of year I get multiple notifications of this group or that group observing White Cane Awareness Day.    I tend to gloss them over, but I shouldn’t.    The fact that I can is a testament to the dedication and determination to the many blind people (and our sighted …

English Words That Came From Yiddish

by Kevin Burton    You could go to college and learn about words and word formation, or you could go to the nearest schoolyard.    How do we get the words we get?    The cool kids, the most influential ones, talk a certain way. Soon the school follows.    Believe me, in school had turns …

Nebraska Town Divided Over Immigration

by Didi Martinez, Julia Ainsley and  Laura Strickler, NBC News FREMONT, Neb. — Big-city mayors may be complaining about the economic impact of an influx of migrants, but the residents of a small city near Omaha can’t decide how they feel.    Fremont, Nebraska, population 27,000, has three massive meat-processing plants. As young locals leave in …

Teachers Sue District Over Free Speech

by Suzanne Perez KMUW WICHITA— A pair of substitute teachers is suing the Lansing school district near Kansas City, alleging they were barred from working as subs because they spoke out against school policies.    Vera Daniels and Celeste Hoins claim in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, that Lansing school board members violated their …

The Hopes And Dreams Of Two Blind Students

by Kevin Burton    Those of us with limited vision don’t have to have limited lives. Often we do, for reasons to numerous to tackle today.    Today, stories of two blind students. The first has reached an important milestone to reach her educational goal. The second wants to fill her life with sights and …

Singer Lachi Lifts Up Her Voice For The Blind

by Peter D. Kramer lohud.com    “Hello, my name is Lachi. Like Versace,” says the woman in the fabulous dress and the beaming smile. Then the New York-based singer-songwriter takes more time than most people, to describe herself.    She offers a visual self-description for blind people in her audience, saying she is a Black …

Laugh Makers, Head Shakers And The Big Fear

by Kevin Burton    I am passing this list of probably true-life anecdotes for the sake of humor – I think.    I got it of from a fellow alum of the Ohio State School for the Blind. There was no attribution so I am not sure who compiled them. These short notes have me …

Good News From the Math Classroom

by Kevin Burton    Today on Page 7 we do the math.    I found two math-related stories on the Good News Network. The first shows that students did better in math when music is incorporated into the lessons.    “A new study explored the causal role that music engagement has on student achievement in …

Traditions That Shape Graduation Ceremonies

by Kevin Burton    Wanted to give a shoutout to all the 2023 high school and college graduates, but without reflecting, depressingly, on how long it has been since I became a new grad myself.    So I decided to talk tradition, rituals, why we do what we do at graduation ceremonies.    A lot …

Standing O For Diane Tirado, My Zero Hero

by Kevin Burton    At work you shouldn’t expect pay for, and at school you shouldn’t expect credit for, work you didn’t do.    I give you that conclusion up front, lest it be lost in this strange little tale. There is weirdness in this story, I warn you.    The first strange thing is …